valley



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. N. ALLEY.

STEP LADDER. No. 279,893. Patented June. 19,1883.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

'J. N. VALLEY.

STEP LADDER. No. 279,893. Patented June 19,1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

JOHN N. VALLEY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEXV JERSEY.

STEP-LADDER.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,893, dated June 19,1883,

Application filed April 9, 1883.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN N. VALLEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStep-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to step-ladders generally, but more especially tofolding ladders and such as are provided with an extra shelf whereon toplace water-pails or paint-cans, &c., so as to keep them readily withinreach without impeding the free use of the steps and top shelf of theladder to stand on when washing or painting walls or windows, &c.

The invention comprises the construction and combination of improveddevices for giving steadiness to the pail-shelf in either position offolded or of being adjusted for use; strength and rigidity to the backof the ladder; increased facility and security of folding the ladder andof bracing it when unfolded; and for supporting a step-ladder evenlyupon its four feet notwithstanding inequalities in the surface on whichit may stand, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure .1 represents aperspective view of my improved step-ladder. Fig. 2 is averticalsectionof the same. Fig. 3 is an under sideview of the pail-shelf inposition for use, the view being seen in the direction of the arrow 1from about the horizontal section-line x x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asectional detail view, seen as in Fig. 2, of the pail-shelf when folded.Fig. 5 is a detail section, on y 3/ of Fig. 2, of the side-braceknuckle. Fig. 6 is a rear View of the ladder when folded. Figs. 7, 8,and 9 p are detail rear views, showing modifications of the back brace.

A designates the front or step ladder proper, composed of the steps a,the round bars A, connecting the steps bypassing through and beingfastened inholes through the ends of the steps, the cleats a, bored toreceive and secured upon the upper ends of the rods A, the top shelf,step, or board, a securing together the lower ends of the rods A ateither side, and a block, a, secured higher up at either side of theladder, between the two parallel rods A, to which blocks the forward (Nomodel.)

ends of the folding braces are pivoted, all in I.

a manner hitherto known.

The back ladder, B, which is hinged at its upper end upon a round, I),passing through and between the rear ends of the cleats a, consists ofround legs B, connected by crossrounds b (so that it also may be used toclimb and stand, on like a ladder) and a central strengthening-brace, G,which latter is one of the points of the present improvements, and ispivoted with its upper end upon the round b midway between the cleats aon the legs B, and thence extends down to or nearly to the foot of theback B, all the rounds passing through holes in the said brace O. Thelower ends of the legs B are provided with threaded axial sockets, intowhich are screwed the threaded shanks d of knobs or other convenientlyturnable pieces D, by which and the said threaded sockets the legs B maybe lengthened or shortened, as the case may require, to evenly supportthe folding ladder upon its four feet, in a manner similar to levelingbilliard-tables.

The brace O, I make preferably of twoseparate slats, 0, put together asshown in Figs. 1, 6, and 8, the lower end of the brace being forked bydiverging the lower ends, 0, of the slats 0,- but the brace C may bemade in one piece and its lower end split to form the fork c c, as inFig. 9; or the brace may be made to extend straight and solid to andbelow the lowest cross-round b, and the fork c 0 may be made of separatepieces bored and fitted upon thelower rounds b, said pieces beingsecured with their lower ends to the inner sides of the legs B, as shownin Fig. 7. This last modification makes a very strong construction,equally applicable whether or not the extension-pieces D are used.Otherwise, when the legs are made extensible, the fork ends 0 are cutoff beneath the lowest round I), as in Figs. 1 and 6; and, when thescrew-pieces D are dispensed with, the lowest end of the .fork c c issecured to the inside of the lower ends of the legs B, as in Figs. 8 and9. Each of the folding side braces, E, (by which the front and back Aand B are held at a proper angle to each other for supporting the ladderwhen unfolded in position for use,) is made of two flat bars or links,e, pivoted together at one end, at c, to and between the two verticalsides f of an angular knuckle or bai1-shaped plate, F, whose top orhorizontal side, f, by contact with the upper edges of the links a attheir pivot 6, looks the folding brace E in its horizontal positionuntil again raised for the purpose of folding the ladder. The brace E ispivoted with one of its ends to the block a of the front A, and with theother end, at b", to the legs B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

G is the pail-shelf, being secured upon two bracket-arms, g, which arepivoted, by means of slots 8, upon the uppermost round 1) of the back B,and are notched or rabbeted upon their free ends at n, so as to engageat the rear edge the under side of the opposite uppermost step a of theladder A when the shelf is placed horizontal and in position for use, asshown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The slots 8 are sufficiently longer than thelower projection of the arms 9, formed by the rabbets or notches a, toallow of drawing back the arms clear of the rear edge of the step a, and(by swinging them on their pivoting-round 1)) fold the shelf G, when notin use, down upon the back B, as shown in Figs. 4. and 6. In order tokeep the shelf steady in either position, so that it may not beaccidentally raised or slipped backward from contact between the arms 9and the step a when in position for use, nor hang loosely and rattlingwith the carrying and moving of the ladder when folded, I have provideda spiral spring, H, fastened with one end to the side of the centralbrace, O, a little distance below the horizontal position of the shelf,thereby giving the spring H a tendency to pull the shelf toward thepivoting-round b and down ward toward its folding position upon the backB at the same time. The spring H may be at tached to the pivoting-roundb, instead of to the brace O. In either case it will serve its aforesaidobjects.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. The spring H, in combination with the foldingshelf G and back, B of a step-ladder, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a step-ladder, the back B, formed of the combination of the legsB, the central brace, O, pivoted with its upper end in line with theleg-pivots, and the horizontal rounds b, passing through the said braceand into the said legs simultaneously, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In combination with the legs B and rounds I) of a step-ladder back,B, the central brace, 0, made of one or more slats, and having divergingside braces, 0', at its lower end, as set forth, the said legsconnecting rounds I), passing also through the said braces G c,substantially as specified.

4. In combination with the front A and back B of a step-ladder, thefolding brace E, consisting of the knuckle F, having a horizontalstop-flange, f, and vertical flanges f, and the links 6, pivoted withone end to the said fiangesf, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. In combination with the front A of a step ladder, the back B, havingthreaded sockets in one or both of its legs B, and extension-pieces D d,screwed into the said sockets, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of March, 1883.

JOHN N VALLEY.

